An Afghan father who served with U.S. forces dies in ICE custody less than a day after being arrested in North Texas.
Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal’s family says he was in the country legally after serving alongside the U.S. military in Afghanistan and evacuating to the U.S. in 2021. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the 41-year-old had a criminal history and his temporary legal status had expired.
Naseer Paktiawil
Afghan father arrested by ICE in North Texas
Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal’s brother, Naseer Paktiawil, said that on Friday, while dropping off his kids at school, Nazeer Paktiawal was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents near his home in Richardson, Texas and taken into custody.
“He was arrested in front of these kids while taking them to school at 7 in the morning. Some people surrounded him, put him in the car, and drove him away while they were screaming, asking for help,” Naseer Paktiawil said.
Less than 24 hours later, Naseer Paktiawil received a call that his brother was dead.
Immigration status and service with U.S. forces
When he arrived in the U.S. in 2021, according to ICE, Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal “was paroled into the U.S. by an immigration officer,” or given temporary permission to enter and remain in the U.S. under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Refuge. The agency said he provided no record of his military service.
ICE said that the duration of his parole expired on Aug. 20, 2025.
Naseer Paktiawil said his brother, a husband and father of six, had a pending immigration case.
According to his brother, before emigrating, Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal was hired by the U.S. government as an Afghan special force and worked alongside them for over a decade.
“He was a hero to his family, to his people, and to his country,” said Naseer Paktiawil about his brother.
ICE confirms custody and hospitalization
ICE confirmed that Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal had been in custody for one day before he was declared dead at Parkland Hospital in Dallas.
In a statement, ICE confirmed that Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal was arrested on March 13. The agency also said that Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal had a criminal history, including an arrest by local authorities for SNAP fraud on Sept. 16, 2025, and an arrest for theft on Nov. 1, 2025.
ICE said when Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal was taken into custody, he “did not report any prior medical history.”
In the late evening of Friday, March 13, ICE said it contacted Emergency Medical Services when Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal began complaining of shortness of breath and chest pains while in an ICE Dallas Field Office processing hold room. ICE said that Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal was taken to Parkland Hospital, where he received a breathing treatment and the ER doctor recommended that he stay in the hospital for observation.
Early March 14, ICE said in its statement, Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal was eating breakfast when medical staff noted that his tongue had become swollen, and he received an epinephrine drip.
According to ICE, later that day, medical staff began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. After multiple lifesaving efforts were attempted, he was declared dead at 9:10 a.m. ICE said Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal’s death is under investigation.
“All I want,” said Naseer Paktiawil, “I want justice for my brother. I don’t need anything else from this government.”
“This tragedy comes during the final days of Ramadan, the most sacred time of the month when Muslims reflect on mercy and justice,” said Mustafaa Carroll, the DFW Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations – Texas. “Detention does not erase a person’s humanity. Every individual in custody must be treated with dignity, safety, and respect. We call on authorities to ensure a full and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Paktiawal’s detention and death.”
“No one in ICE custody is denied access to proper medical care,” Department of Homeland Security Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. “It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This includes medical, dental, and mental health services as available, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare that [sic] many aliens have received in their entire lives.”
CBS News Texas has not yet been able to confirm the criminal history information provided by ICE.
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